W E L C O M E TO WO O D S H O L E

A world center for marine, biomedical, and environmental science

2

Woods Hole, a village in the Town of Falmouth on the southwestern corner of Cape Cod, is a world center for marine, biomedical, and environmental science. Its reputation in these fields may seem out of proportion to its small size, yet, in addition to several smaller enterprises and labs, Woods Hole contains two large private organizations (the Marine Biological Laboratory and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) and two federal government facilities (the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Geological Survey).

Together, these larger institutions occupy some 170 buildings, operate a dozen research vessels and collecting boats, employ more than 1,500 year-round people, and offer instruction to approximately 500 students. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution outgrew its space in the village in the 1960s and expanded to the Quissett Campus, located a mile and a half to the northeast, where U.S. Geological Survey laboratories are also located.

A History of the Scientific CommunityThe village of Woods Hole was settled more than 300

years ago and for two centuries remained primarily a farming and fishing community. Then in 1871 the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries (precursor of the

Welcome to Woods HoleNational Marine Fisheries Service) was established, and its first director, Spencer Fullerton Baird, set up a temporary collecting station in Woods Hole to study marine animals. Attracted by the abundance of fauna and unpolluted waters, he established a permanent laboratory in the village in 1875. Soon, visiting scientists were studying local marine plants and animals, and a hatchery was organized to stock rivers with shad, salmon, and other fish. At about the same time, the Fish Commission acquired Albatross, a 234-foot steamer and the first American ship to be designed and built as a research vessel.

In 1888, a second institution, the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), was established across the street. Its founders believed that some of the essential processes of life, such as cell division, nerve and muscle activity, and development, might be studied more easily in simple marine forms than in higher animals. Consequently, both teaching and research were begun in cellular biology, embryology, and biomedical fields as well as in marine biology in general. For almost 90 years MBL was solely a summer institution, but since the 1970s it has housed a number of major year-round programs.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), a private nonprofit research organization originally funded

3

MBL botany class students during an 1895 specimen collection trip.

MBL

Col

lect

ion

Water Street, early 1900s. Candle House at right dates to Woods Hole’s whaling days (1828–1864). Fisheries building is at left in background.

NEF

SC P

hoto

Arc

hive

s

by the Rockefeller Foundation, struck off in a somewhat different direction. It was incorporated in 1930 to study all branches of oceanography. Since much of the research was planned for the deep sea, the research vessel Atlantis was built and used from 1931 to 1964. In its first decade, WHOI was primarily a summer institution. During World War II it changed to a year-round operation to gather oceanographic information for anti-submarine warfare, amphibious landings, and other operations. After the war, WHOI continued to work with the government, and at present 80 percent of its annual budget is supported by federal grants and contracts.

In the 1960s, the Fisheries and MBL replaced old wooden buildings with a new aquarium and modern laboratories; WHOI expanded its research programs and facilities and established a graduate education program in concert with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A fourth institution, the U.S. Geological Survey, headquartered its new branch of Atlantic Marine Geology here to investigate the geology and geophysics of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. The Sea Education Association joined the community in 1975, and Woods Hole Research Center in 1985.

4

as climate change and food web dynamics) play in marine populations and the overall ecosystem. Socioeconomic scientists study the social, economic, and cultural effects of fisheries and marine mammal management on coastal communities in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. Fieldwork by laboratory scientists is supported by two research vessels, the 209-foot Henry B. Bigelow and the 160-foot Delaware II.

The Laboratory employs about 175 natural and social scientists, technicians, and administrators. It also houses the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, which annually receives more than 150,000 visitors, including several thousand students on science field trips.

The Laboratory further serves as headquarters for NMFS’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, which coordinates research not only at the Woods Hole Laboratory, but also at five other laboratories in the Northeast (Narraganset, RI; Milford, CT; Highlands, NJ; Washington, DC; and Orono, ME). Scientists at these other locations conduct research on ecosystem health, aquaculture, habitat conservation, biodiversity, and endangered or protected marine life in the waters of the Northeast continental shelf.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is the federal agency with stewardship responsibility for our nation’s living marine resources. The agency’s Woods Hole Laboratory conducts research on fisheries resources and the fishermen who harvest them, and on marine mammals and other protected resources in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Information derived from this research is primarily used by those who make management decisions about these resources and their habitats.

Created by Congress in 1871 as a summer sampling station, the laboratory is the world’s oldest facility specifically dedicated to marine fisheries research. It became a year-round institution in 1875, and is currently part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service.

Laboratory scientists are primarily interested in three broad areas of research—resource assessment, ecosystem monitoring, and socioeconomics. Resource assessment scientists determine the distribution, size, and productivity of marine fish, shellfish, and marine mammal populations, as well as the effects of fishing and other human activities on those populations. Ecosystem monitoring scientists investigate the role that natural or nonhuman factors (such

National Marine Fisheries Service www.nefsc.noaa.gov N

ATIO

NA

L O

CEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADM

INISTRATIO

N

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMM

ERCE

Founded 1871

5

Phot

os c

ourte

sy o

f Nat

iona

l Mar

ine

Fish

erie

s Se

rvic

e

Left: Woods Hole Science Aquarium welcomed a new resident, Lu-Seal. See page 14 for hours and location.

Top right: A monkfish caught during a research survey conducted aboard a commercial fishing vessel.

Below right: An endangered North Atlantic right whale sighted during a NOAA Fisheries whale research flight. NOAA operates the stranding and re-sponse network that disentangles whales.

6

The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is an independent, non-profit institution dedicated to creative research and advanced training in the biological, biomedical, and environmental sciences. The oldest private marine laboratory in the Americas, the MBL is synonymous with biological discovery.

The MBL has a staff of 275 year-round scientists and support staff. They conduct research on ecosystems and how humans impact them to help resource managers make sound decisions. They explore how cells work and divide to understand human health issues. They probe genetic relationships among living organisms and identify human genes of biomedical importance. They study, maintain, and cultivate aquatic organisms essential to modern biological, biomedical, and ecological research. And they are key to the Encyclopedia of Life project, an unprecedented effort to create a Web page for all 1.8 million named species on Earth.

Each summer an additional 1,400 scientists and students from around the world gather at the MBL to conduct research, collaborate across scientific disciplines, and learn from one another. Many study local marine organisms, such as clams and squid, which are excellent models for understanding basic, life-sustaining biological

processes they share with humans. To date, more than 50 Nobel Laureates have taught,

taken courses, or conducted research at the MBL. Many other MBL affiliates are members of honorific societies, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In the words of author/physician Lewis Thomas, “The MBL stands as the uniquely national center for biology in the country.”

MBL education programs, including advanced-level summer discovery courses and shorter techniques-oriented courses, are known throughout the life sciences for kick-starting research careers. The MBL Semester in Environmental Sciences Program for undergraduates and the Brown-MBL Graduate Program for Biological and Environmental Sciences are other signature offerings.

The MBL also serves as a primary source of scientific information to the Woods Hole community through the MBLWHOI Library, which holds more than 300,000 bound journals and books and provides access to 4,000 electronic journals and scientific databases. Together these resources cover the biological literature of the last 300 years.

Marine Biological Laboratory www.mbl.edu

Founded 1888

MBLBiological Discoveryin Woods Hole

7

Left: The MBLWHOI library, located in the Lillie building, contains one of the world’s most complete collections of biological, ecological, and oceanographic literature.

Top right: MBL scientists study cells of marine organisms to learn more about biological processes common to all living things, including humans.

Bottom right: Scientists and students from around the world come to MBL to conduct basic biological, biomedical, and environmental research.Al

l pho

tos

this

pag

e: M

BL C

olle

ctio

n

8

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of all aspects of marine science and engineering and to the education of marine researchers. Established in 1930, it is the largest independent oceanographic research institution in the U.S., with staff and students numbering about 1,000. The Institution is organized into five departments, four interdisciplinary institutes—ocean life, coastal ocean, ocean and climate change, deep ocean exploration—and a marine policy center. Its shore-based facilities are located in the village of Woods Hole and on the nearby Quissett Campus. The bulk of the Institution’s funding comes from peer-reviewed grants and contracts from the National Science Foundation and other government agencies, augmented by foundations and private donations.

In an interdisciplinary atmosphere that nurtures discovery, WHOI scientists, engineers, and students collaborate to explore the frontiers of knowledge about planet Earth. They develop theories, test ideas, build seagoing instruments and vehicles, and collect data in diverse marine environments. Working in all the world’s oceans, their broad research agenda includes: geological activity deep within the earth; plant, animal, and microbial

populations and their interactions in the ocean; coastal erosion; ocean circulation; ocean pollution; and global climate change.

Ships operated by WHOI carry research scientists throughout the world’s oceans. The WHOI fleet includes three large research vessels Atlantis, Knorr, and Oceanus, coastal craft including Tioga, the deep-diving human-occupied submersible Alvin, the tethered, remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) Jason, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) such as the Sentry and SeaBED, and the hybrid ROV-AUV Nereus.

WHOI offers graduate and post-graduate studies in virtually all areas of marine science. There are several fellowship and traineeship programs, and graduate degrees are awarded through a joint program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) or by the Institution itself. WHOI also offers other outreach programs and informal public education through its Ocean Science Exhibit Center (see pages 14 and 15) and summer tours. The Institution has a volunteer program and a membership program, WHOI Associates.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution www.whoi.edu

Founded 1930

9

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution www.whoi.eduLeft: The research vessel Atlantis is owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by WHOI for the oceanographic community. It is one of the most sophisticated research vessels afloat, and it is specifically outfitted for launching and servicing Alvin. Top right: The three-person submersible Alvin is recovered aboard research vessel Atlantis in the Pacific Ocean.

Bottom right: A small whale is scanned in the CT facility. Marine mammal research has been ongoing since the 1930s.To

m K

lein

dins

t, W

HOI

Dan

Forn

ari,

WHO

I

Crai

g Di

ckso

n, W

HOI

10

Earth scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center explore and study the geology, chemistry, and physics of marine and lacustrine environments in the United States and around the world. Established in 1962, the field office has grown from a handful of researchers exploring the offshore continental margin to a team of about 100, studying many of society’s pressing issues, such as climate change, coastal erosion, marine pollution, resource extraction, and habitat degradation. The USGS research facility is located on the Quissett Campus of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

The Woods Hole team’s research focuses on five general themes: coastal and shelf geology, sediment transport, environmental geoscience, energy and tectonics, and information science. A long-term goal is to develop predictive capabilities for geologic processes and to provide the basic geologic framework of U.S. coastal and offshore areas. The results of these studies are released to the public as reports, maps, journal articles, books, atlases, websites, and seminar contributions. Much of the data and information are accessible online through the USGS Web site.

The USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science

United States Geological Survey woodshole.er.usgs.govCenter has specialized capabilities in oceanographic research, including sediment transport instrumentation, an integrated seafloor mapping facility, geochemistry laboratory facilities, the coastal and lake research vessel Rafael, a gas-hydrates testing laboratory, and an advanced autonomous surface vehicle for shallow-water geophysical studies (IRIS).

USGS research is used to increase basic understanding of earth processes, to help develop government policy, and to aid managers in their stewardship and regulatory functions. The USGS in Woods Hole collaborates with other research institutions within the Woods Hole scientific community, the nation, and the world. USGS marine research also involves collaboration with states and other government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the departments of Commerce, Energy, Defense, and State, and other bureaus within the Department of the Interior.

Publications by the Woods Hole team provide scientific information of national and international importance to the research community, federal and state agencies, as well as the general public. Additional information is available via the USGS Web site at www.usgs.gov.

Woods Hole Science Center

Established 1962

11

Top left: Onshore and offshore groundwater sampling. Geochemists study the flux of groundwater and nutrients across the land-sea interface.

Top middle: The autonomous surface vessel IRIS.

Top right: Gas hydrate researchers sampling a deep-sea sediment core from the Gulf of Mexico. Gas hydrates are being studied for their potential as a methane resource in both permafrost and deepwater marine settings.

Bottom: USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Quissett Campus.

Cloc

kwis

e fro

m to

p le

ft: S

andy

Bal

dwin

, USG

S; T

om O

’Brie

n, U

SGS;

Bi

ll W

inte

rs, U

SGS;

Dan

n Bl

ackw

ood,

USG

S

12

for their class. The SSV Corwith Cramer sails the waters of the North Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea, while the SSV Robert C. Seamans sails the waters of the Northern and Tropical Pacific.

SEA is dedicated to the exploration, understanding, and stewardship of the oceans, and to the study of humanity’s relationship with the oceans.

For nearly 40 years and more than one million nautical miles, Sea Education Association (SEA) has been a leader in marine education, teaching students about the world’s oceans through a fully accredited off-campus study program. SEA Semester®, developed in direct collaboration and affiliation with Boston University, combines elements of oceanography, maritime history and culture, environmental studies, public policy, and nautical science. Each SEA Semester program combines academic work on campus in Woods Hole with fieldwork at sea aboard one of SEA’s two sailing research vessels. It is the only program in the world that brings students from all disciplines to the deep ocean, under sail, to study the science and culture of the sea. SEA Semester is also the basis for SEA’s other educational offerings which include summer high school programs, partnership in the MIT/WHOI graduate program, and programs for teachers.

SEA is the only ocean education organization that utilizes custom designed and built sail training vessels. The SSV Corwith Cramer and the SSV Robert C. Seamans, 134-foot brigantines, are both inspected and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard as Sailing School Vessels (SSV). They are maintained and staffed to the highest standards, and meet or exceed the Coast Guard safety requirements

Sea Education Association www.sea.edu

Relocated to Woods Hole

in 1975

The SSV Robert C. Seamans under full sail.

Depl

oym

ent:

Cynt

hia

Land

gren

, SEA

Sem

este

r Alu

mna

; Shi

p: S

EA

SEA Semester students deploying a water sampling carousel.

13

The Woods Hole Research Center, founded in 1985 by noted ecologist George M. Woodwell, is an independent, non-profit institute focused on environmental science, education, and public policy. With a staff of nearly 60 scientists, research assistants, policy experts, and others, Center programs explore how to best conserve and sustain the Earth’s vegetation, soils, water, and climate. The Center has projects throughout the world, including the Amazon, the Arctic, Africa, Russia, and North America, and works in collaboration with partners ranging from local non-governmental and educational organizations to governments and the United Nations.

The Center’s Gilman Ordway Campus is located at 149 Woods Hole Road where the George M. Woodwell Building serves as a model for 21st century construction in its use of energy, water, and environmentally friendly building materials. The campus operates without any onsite combustion of fossil fuels, the primary contributor to global warming, and features a portfolio of renewable and alternative energy technologies, including a photovoltaic array and a 100kW wind turbine. The Woodwell Building was recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as one of the top ten green buildings in the U.S. in 2004 and earned a first place in the

Woods Hole Research Center www.whrc.orgNortheast Sustainable Energy Association 2004 Green Building Awards. The Center’s website features real-time information on the building’s energy performance. To learn more, please visit www.whrc.org.

Founded 1985

Right: The “green” George M. Woodwell Building of the Woods Hole Research Center was completed in 2003. The 100kW wind turbine was erected in 2009. To

p ph

oto

by J

udy

Wat

ts W

ilson

. Bot

tom

pho

to b

y Di

ane

Quai

d, W

HRC

Left: The Commons and the main staircase of WHRC’s Woodwell Building interior.

14

The Woods Hole Science Aquarium at NOAA Fisheries, Marine Biological Laboratory’s Robert W. Pierce Visitors Center, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Ocean Science Exhibit Center and Information Office are open to the public.

Marine Biological Laboratory Main Phone: 508-548-3705Associates: 508-289-7281Communications Office: 508-289-7423Robert W. Pierce Visitors Center/ Gift Shop: 508-289-7230 Call for hours7 MBL StreetWoods Hole, MA 02543www.mbl.edu

National Marine Fisheries Service Main phone: 508-495-2000Aquarium: 508-495-2001 (Free adm.) Mid-June to mid-September: Tues.-Sat. 11am-4 pm Rest of year: Mon.-Fri. 11am-4 pm166 Water StreetWoods Hole, MA 02543www.nefsc.nmfs.gov

United States Geological Survey Main Phone: 508-548-8700Crawford and Gosnold Laboratories384 Woods Hole RoadWoods Hole, MA 02543woodshole.er.usgs.gov

Sea Education Association Main Phone: 508-540-3954Admissions: 800-552-3633 ext. 770171 Woods Hole RoadFalmouth, MA 02540Mailing address: P.O. Box 6Woods Hole, MA 02543www.sea.edu

Contact InformationWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionMain Phone: 508-457-2000Associates Program: 508-289-4895 Academic Programs Office: 508-289-2200Ocean Science Exhibit Center: 508-289-2663 Memorial Day to Labor Day: Mon.-Sat. 10am-4:30pm Off-Season: Call for hoursHuman Resources: 508-289-2253Information Office: 508-289-2252 Media Relations Office: 508-289-3340Mailing address: 266 Woods Hole RoadWoods Hole, MA 02543www.whoi.edu

Woods Hole Research CenterMain Phone: 508-540-9900149 Woods Hole RoadFalmouth, MA 02540www.whrc.org

15

Map

by

Jayn

e Do

ucet

te, W

HOI G

raph

ic S

ervi

ces

SIPPEW

ISSETT

AV

E.

Little Harbor

0 1/4 1/2 MILE

SCALE

Fire Station

Quissett Traffic Light

Nobska Light

OYSTER POND RD. NOBSKA RD.

CH

UR

CH

ST.

OYSTER POND

RD.

NO

B S KA

R

D.

WOODS HOLE

ROAD

WOODS HOLE ROAD

RA

NSO

M R

OAD

Oyster Pond

Salt Pond

Siders Pond

SURF DRIVE

SHININ

G SEA BIKE PATH

BIKE PATH Parking Lot

Woods Hole

Village Facilities

Buzzards Bay

Nantucket Sound

School S

t.

Millfield St.

EelPond

WHOIQuissettCampus

Sea Education

Association Woods

Hole Research

Center

Woods HoleScience Aquarium

and National MarineFisheries Service

WHOI InformationOffice

MBL VisitorsCenter

QUISSET T AVE.

WHOIOcean ScienceExhibit CenterSteamship

Authority

Water Street

Drawbridge

Woods Hole

Village Facilities

WHOIQuissettCampus

United StatesGeological

Survey

United StatesGeological

Survey

Sea Education

Association Woods

Hole Research

Center

Woods HoleScience Aquarium

and National MarineFisheries Service

WHOI InformationOffice

MBL VisitorsCenter

Quissett

Harbor

WHOI Ocean Science Exhibit Center

40K 09/09

United States Geological Survey (USGS)woodshole.er.usgs.gov508-548-8700The USGS Woods Hole Science Center, a federal government agency, conducts geoscience research on the Atlantic continental margin, in the Great Lakes, and in coastal regions around the nation.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)www.whoi.edu508-457-2000WHOI conducts research around the world in oceanography and ocean engineering and is the largest private, nonprofit marine research and higher education organization in the U.S. Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC)www.whrc.org508-540-9900The Woods Hole Research Center addresses global environmental problems related to climate change, land-use changes in tropical and boreal forests, and the health of the planet.

Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL)www.mbl.edu508-548-3705MBL is a private, nonprofit international center devoted to basic research and education in biology, biomedicine, and environmental science.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)www.nefsc.noaa.gov508-495-2000NMFS is the federal agency with stewardship responsibility for our nation’s living marine resources. The Woods Hole Laboratory serves as headquarters for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center of the NMFS.

Sea Education Association (SEA)www.sea.edu508-540-3954SEA offers programs for college and high school students and teachers primarily through classroom and at-sea experience aboard a traditional sailing vessel.

Woods Hole at a Glance